by photojournalist Jeffrey Moellering
The name Carlos Santana essentially occupies its own musical genre in the American lexicon of rock. Melding elements of Latin, Afro-Cuban, jazz, blues and world music into a soul stew that has been revered by millions for nearly 60 years.
Santana brought his 2026 Oneness Tour to Clearwater’s Ruth Eckerd Hall on Friday, April 10th, with a special benefit performance. Proceeds from the engagement, including a pre-show dinner and after-party, supported the Marcia P. Hoffman School of the Arts. Carlos Santana also supports children globally through his own Milagro Foundation (Spanish for “miracle”), which was founded in 1998, and focuses on education, health, and arts.
A ten-time GRAMMY and three-time Latin GRAMMY winner, he made history with Supernatural in 1999, earning nine GRAMMYs in one night, including Album and Record of the Year. He is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, a Kennedy Center Honoree, and a recipient of Billboard’s Century and Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Awards. Rolling Stone ranks him #11 on its list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” Pretty heady stuff for a Mexican boy who grew up in the barrios of Tijuana and found his way to San Francisco during the explosion of the psychedelic scene. Santana was like a sponge, soaking up all the music he heard around him, making a groundbreaking appearance during the 1969 Woodstock music festival as a mere 22-year-old, shooting him into the stratosphere as a kind of transcendental figure.
Lofty ticket prices did not deter the Santana faithful, as the show was a literal sellout, with the parking lot packed long before the doors opened, fans eagerly waiting outside on a beautiful, breezy Friday evening. Attending a Santana show is as much a spiritual experience as it is a rock concert, which his searing licks emanating from a center deep within his soul, tapping into the core of all creation. Carlos is known for his interest in many world religions, from Christianity, to Buddhism, and Hindu, changing his name at one point in the early 70s to Devadip after becoming a disciple of the Indian spiritual teacher Sri Chinmoy. The name is often interpreted as meaning “The lamp, light and eye of God,” reflecting the deep spiritual direction he embraced at the time.
During this period, Santana explored more experimental and spiritually influenced music, collaborating with artists such as Alice Coltrane, John McLaughlin and Wayne Shorter. His work from these years shows a clear shift toward jazz fusion and meditative soundscapes.
Carlos eventually moved on from those teachings, but a deep sense of awe, wonder and reverence remain at his core, and it shines through in all his shows. Even if you aren’t familiar with his catalog, the energy, sensualness and soul grabs you both in the heart and in your hips! The only thing missing was a dancefloor, though many fans were up shaking throughout the evening.
The Santana band includes three formal percussionists, in addition to his drumming spouse Cindy Blackman, who is an absolute powerhouse behind the kit. Everyone else in the band also plays some sort of percussive instrument, from tambourine to maracas. The set is adorned almost like a mini shrine, with a framed portrait of Jesus Christ atop Santana’s amp, and the percussionists with skulls on their cymbals and other Latin elements of reverence for the dead. His stage is literally a space of communion, and a sort of musical pulpit, from where he emanates a transcendental cosmic message of music.
As a special treat, blues guitar legend Jimmy Vaughn was brought out on the stage for a special appearance, as he is in town for the Bluesfest also ongoing in St. Petersburg this weekend. It’s hard to believe that Carlos still rocks so hard now at 78, and shows no signs of slowing down. Music evidently keeps him young, because he could easily pass for a decade younger. It was indeed an uplifting evening of celebration, reverence and masterful musicianship in a stellar near 2-hour spirit drenching fiesta.
If the scintillating show in Clearwater was any indication, his fans, old and young alike, are in store for future inspiring performances from the grand marshal of Latin inspired soul and rock fusion, as the flame of passion is still burning brightly from the candle of life’s colorful parade, and the ever-emanating wonder from within, expressed so exquisitely through Santana’s world of sound.
